Mixed reactions over union budget

Patna, Feb 28(UNI) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, also holding the finance portfolio, today said that the union budget had nothing which could generate hope among common man.

Mr Modi alleged that the budget had poured cold water on the aspirations of the people as the Centre had not provided Rs 1500 crores to the state under Sam Vikas Yojna.

He said that by increasing cess on education, the Centre had put extra burden on salaried class.

'' Union ministers from Bihar could not exert pressure to provide relief to the people,'' he rued.

The RJD said several proposals in the union budget would help in reducing the prices of essential commodities and put the inflation under check.

In a statement, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi said reduction in excise duties on petrol and diesel, decrease in import duties of food grains would help in reducing the prices of essential commodities and inflation as well.

CPI(ML) state secretary Ram Jatan Sharma described the budget as anti-poor aimed at giving benefits to the corporate sectors.

He said that employment guarantee scheme should be extended to all districts in the country.

''Increase in defence budget would not make the country strong and attempts should be made to bring alround prosperity of the people,'' he maintained.

Senior JD(U) leader Dr Jagannath Mishra said no step had been taken to ameliorate the lot of rural people and farmers while no emphasis was laid to reduce the inflation and price rise in the union budget.

Congress and Nationalist Congress Party leaders welcomed the budget saying that interest of all section had been equally taken care off and the budget would accelate the pace of development of the nation.

UNI